


Three's A Crowd

by SquishyChansoo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Slow Burn, Temporarily Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:00:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26583292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SquishyChansoo/pseuds/SquishyChansoo
Summary: Besides his girlfriend of ten years, Baekhyun had been the only constant in Jongdae's life. Jongdae finds himself lost in the world when his girlfriend suddenly ends their relationship, and Baekhyun is left to mend his friend's shattered heart whilst he himself attempts to guard his own heart from the frigid winds of unrequited love.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongdae | Chen, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 15
Kudos: 77
Collections: Shall we Chen? Fictional Fest First Round





	Three's A Crowd

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Shallwechenfest  
> Prompt #180
> 
> This fic was brought to you by: The sole mechanical pencil in my house with the spent eraser, the speech-text feature on my phone, Google Doc's spellcheck, and an app I downloaded that turns handwriting to text that ended up giving my phone a virus.
> 
> Special thanks to the mods who have been extremely kind and patient with me and my meltdowns, and my roommate, who failed to pay the wifi bill on time.
> 
> Please see the note at the end of the chapter.

_**PROLOGUE** _

Jongdae was nervous.

His legs shook and sweat droplets congregated at his forehead as he kneaded his hands together in an effort to calm himself. He stood at the school gates, waiting for his friend to approach him like she did every other day. Except today was different.

Today Jongdae prepared himself to take the leap out of the friendzone. He was both ready to take the next step and soar towards cupids gates, or plummet face first into the ground.

“Kim Jongdae!”

He was ripped out of his stupor as Yoonhee flailed her arms and ran towards him with a big smile on her face.

Yoonhee was someone everyone admired. Though she was very brazen at times, she was also gentle and outgoing. She stood up for anyone she saw was being treated unfairly, and treated everyone with kindness. Her hair was cut into a bob that barely reached her shoulders, her uniform always seemed to be disheveled and crumpled, and she was always seen frantically scrambling to get to class on time. Even though she was very low maintenance, her beauty still found a way to seep through. No one was safe from her charm; Women and men alike. Jongdae was no different.

“Did Baekhyun skip out on school today? I haven’t seen him all day.” She tugged on Jongdae’s arm to begin their usual path home as she spoke.

“Yeah, his mom said he wasn’t feeling well when I went to pick him up this morning...I think we should stop by his house to cheer him up.” Jongdae explained.

His brows furrowed in worry as he recalled how his best friend went from his usual energetic self the day prior, to suddenly being so sick he couldn’t even greet Jongdae from his bedroom window like he always did when he fell sick. He was torn from his thoughts when Yoonhee hummed in response and shifted her weight to his side as they continued on their way.

He put Baekhyun on the back of his mind as he focused all his energy on how to even begin to confess his feelings. He was in the middle of running it through Baekhyun the day prior before he suddenly sprinted away when he spotted Baekbeom flailing a sandal over his head as he shouted profanities at Baekhyun for wearing his hoodie without permission.

“What's up with your face?” Yoonhee raised an eyebrow at Jongdae as she ran a finger between Jongdae’s brows to relax them from the frown that had been etched onto Jongdae’s face the whole day.

“Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind.” He offered a shaky smile.

He went cross eyed as he shifted his eyes to the finger that was still glued to his brow. She retracted her hand and led them to a secluded bench.

“That’s weird. Whatever is bugging you must be serious because you never go a second without running your mouth.” She joked, but the comforting hand she ran in circles on Jongdae's back said otherwise.

Jongdae slowly inhaled. He hesitated for a second longer. The possible outcome of his decision suddenly washed over him like cold water. He wondered if it was worth it to risk their friendship for his own selfish desires. Though the thought of cowering away and never knowing what could have been didn’t sit well with him either. With a quick exhale, he rid himself of his worries and poured his heart out to Yoonhee.

Her hand dropped to her lap as she listened in silence and considered Jongdae’s words seriously. She nodded along when Jongdae stuttered to encourage him, and her eyes never left his, though they gave none of her thoughts away. Jongdae held his breath when he finished. He tried to keep her gaze, but it was all too much for him and he turned to the ground as he awaited her response.

“Hey! Don’t turn away from me. The Jongdae I know never backs away from the decisions he makes.” She joked and squeezed Jongdae’s face to lighten the mood before crossing her arms on her knees.

“You have always been sweet and carefree towards everyone, so I never thought you felt this way towards me. To be honest, I've always thought fondly of you. Now that I think about it, I feel the most at ease when i’m with you... I don’t think I could stand being without you, and that alone gives me the answer you seek.”

Jongdae’s hair stood on end as he anticipated her next words. He had prepared himself for the worst, never even considering that she would say yes.

“I think I owe you this much. I’ll give you a chance to properly swoop me off my feet.” She couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her lips as she took in the smile on Jongdae's face that stretched from ear to ear.

He didn’t wait a beat longer before he gathered her in his arms and spun them around. Her boisterous laugh was music to Jongdae's ears. He hugged her tightly one last time and breathed in content before turning serious.

“I am extremely happy right now, but we really need to check on Baekhyun now.”

“Actually, I can't.” She looked at Jongdae with guilt. “My cousin's in town. My mom will kill me if I don't go home now.”

They bid each other a nervous goodbye before going their separate ways. He felt light on his feet as he anticipated telling Baekhyun all about what had just transpired. He sprinted the rest of the way to Baekhyun’s house. He didn’t even bother knocking, for their houses were practically a second home to each other. He carefully walked up the steps he's walked since he was in pre school to Baekhyun’s room.

He knocked tentatively and carefully opened the door when he heard no response. At the same time Jongdae entered the room, Baekhyun emerged from the bathroom. It seemed he had just taken a shower since his hair was drenched. He stood frozen, half naked, and with one hand gripping a towel to his waist. Jongdae grew concerned for his friend’s puffy face and bloodshot eyes, and the puddle that was growing steadily at his feet.

“Sorry Hyunee. I assumed you were asleep.” He apologized, but stood still in his spot as he took in Baekhyun’s blank stare.

“No worries. Just give me a moment.” He croaked out.

Jongdae didn’t miss how hoarse and strained his voice sounded, or the sniffle that escaped him as he pushed past Jongdae to get to the closet across the room.

Jongdae stepped out and made his way to the kitchen to make some tea for Baekhyun's throat. He returned to the room when he deemed it long enough for Baekhyun to make himself decent, however he didn’t anticipate walking in to see Baekhyun spaced out, shirtless, in sweatpants, and his hair still dripping.

Jongdae put the cup of tea on the nightstand, and went to pull Baekhyun to bed. Baekhyun smiled in thanks, but his usual brightness didn’t reach his eyes. Jongdae sighed in defeat before grabbing a towel to commence running it through Baekhyun’s hair. They fell into comfortable silence as he finished his tea. Jongdae tucked Baekhyun in bed when he finished, and threw caution to the wind as he climbed in to cuddle his best friend. He took this opportunity to relay the news to him.

“I don’t care if I get sick. I’m really happy right now Baekhyunee.” He stated as he rubbed his cheek on Baekhyun's face. “Yoonhee accepted my feelings!”

At this point Baekhyun would shove Jongdae’s face away, but he lay still as Jongdae squirmed like a little girl. Jongdae realized this and was about to turn to face him when Baekhyun suddenly wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tight to his chest. Jongdae settled into Baekhyun’s warmth, and quietly listened to his erratic heart and occasional sniffles. They stayed like that for a while before Baekhyun's voice cut through the silence.

“I’m going to rest. You should go.” His voice was shaky and broken.

His eyes remained shut as he reached for a tissue to cover his face when Jongdae shifted to study his face. Bakhyun buried himself further into the blankets and turned his back to Jongdae without another word. Jongdae reached his hand over the back of Baekhyun’s head and settled it on his forehead.

“You don’t seem to have a fever.” He snaked his arm over Baekhyun’s waist for a final hug. “Okay. I'll let you sleep. Rest well my Hyunee.” He whispered soothingly before getting up to leave.

He gathered his things and cleaned up a bit. He went to close the door behind him before getting stopped by Baekhyun’s voice.

“I love you Jongdae.” He paused. “I’m happy that you’re happy.”

His words were muffled by the blankets, but Jongdae heard them loud and clear.

“See you tomorrow Baekhyunee."

He shot him a smile, turned the lights off, and locked up before heading home.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

Jongdae was nervous.

It had been exactly ten years since he made his best friend his girlfriend.Three years since he opened a music store together with Baekhyun and two other college mates. Two years since Jongdae moved out of Baekhyun's shared apartment shortly after their college graduation when things got too hard for the couple because Jongdae's job was on the opposite side of town.

Their relationship, like all relationships, wasn't always rainbows and cupcakes. They had their own set of trials and tribulations, but they had love for each other. That has been, and will always be true, but lately they couldn't help but feel something missing in their shared life. The past year of their relationship had been running bland and stale. Nothing grand or tragic occurred. They simply hit a lull; Tranquil water waiting to be disturbed with the smallest motion.

That motion came in the shape of a ring holding a promise of a lifetime of commitment.

Yoonhee froze in place as tears fell from her eyes like rain after a drought. Yoonhee rarely cried, so this alarmed Jongdae who immediately stood from kneeling on the floor. He held her as she clung to him and sobbed into his chest. He didn’t pressure her, and rocked her back and forth until her breathing settled and her sniffles seized. He looked into her eyes as she calmed down.

“Hey, what happened?” He questioned tentatively as he held her at arm's length to get a better look at her.

“I…” She had to stop herself when she felt a knot growing in her throat. “I can’t Jongdae. I’m so so so sorry.” She let out with great difficulty.

Her whole body shook as another round of tears rained down her tortured face. Jongade held her hand and led her to sit on a chair. He disappeared briefly to fetch a glass of water to calm her down. He dragged another chair in front of her and waited patiently as she gathered the strength to express herself properly. He listened with a heavy heart as she poured out the weight her heart had been bearing for quite some time apparently.

"No matter how hard I try, I just can't respond to you anymore.There's just nothing there." She avoided his eyes and focused on a spot on the floor. "I thought I was just too busy to see it, until I realized I had been keeping myself busy so I wouldn't have to address it."

She dared to look in his eyes, but bursted into another fit sobs the moment she saw the hurt in them.

“Believe me when I say that your presence in my life is of great value to me Jongdae…” She began again after filling her lungs with oxygen. "I didn't mean to drag it out for so long. I know there is no excuse for the pain I've caused you, but I was scared...in fear of your resentment, I ended up hurting you more.”

Jongdae looked down at their intertwined fingers. Suddenly recalling all the times she turned down his advances. Though he always dismissed it as fatigue, he couldn’t push down that feeling of rejection in his heart. Though in this moment, oddly enough, his heart ached more for her and the stress she had been shouldering than his own pain.

“I understand, and accept your feelings, but I just want to make sure this isn't just another hurdle in our path." He started after a moment of consideration. "I want to have no regrets when we look back.”

He held her face in his hands and wiped away the traces her tears had left behind.

“We haven’t been on a date in a while. Let’s put our last wheels to the test. What do you say?” Jongdae silently pleaded with his eyes.

She responded by pressing a tender kiss full of emotion on his lips. She buried her face in his neck as he held her in his arms. He swayed them back and forth to soothe the aftershocks of her sobs. He held a mouthful of air and looked to the ceiling for answers.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

Jongdae laid awake that night, tormented by his thoughts. He rose from the bed, being careful not to disturb Yoonhee, who was finally in a deep sleep after settling down. He stepped outside to the balcony and took out his phone, dialing the number he knew by heart. It took a couple seconds before Baekhyun picked up the phone.

“Jongdae?” He greeted in confusion, his voice a bit hoarse and nasally.

“Hey Baekhyun. Sorry, did I wake you up?” Jongdae bit his lip in worry.

“Nah, I gave up on trying to sleep earlier..." There was a pause on the other line, and Jongdae could hear the clacking of Baekhyun’s keyboard.

“I’m finishing up a quick round of LOL before I head to bed.” There was a crescendo of frantic clicking that climaxed as Baekhyun seized his movements and sighed in defeat.

“So, what do I owe the pleasure of this 2 a.m call JD?” Baekhyun teased Jongdae with the nickname an american transfer student used to call him, much to Jongdae’s apparent annoyance, yet deep satisfaction.

“I always preferred that nickname over Minseok’s Daenosaur.” Jongdae grimaced as he recalled how the elder would call out to him in a sing-song voice.

“Yeah, he was a cute one *hic* So reliable too *hic* he’d always pick up after me when we roomed together freshman year.” Baekhyun finished, albeit with great difficulty.

“Baek, are you drunk?” Jongdae asked incredulously.

“I...yeah probably.” Baek confessed before he was overcome with a sudden burst of nasally giggles that resulted in a sudden snort that had him giggling even more.

Jongdae pinched his forehead, not anticipating the added worry when he called his best friend for emotional support.

“Baekhyun why are you drinking? You hate the taste of alcohol, and you’re a lightweight!” Jongdae scolded before taking on a more soothing tone. “Is everything okay?”

There was a brief silence at the end of the line. Baekhyun blew out a dry laugh before speaking in a more serious tone.

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” There was another pause as Jongdae contemplated whether to believe him or not. However, Baekhyun didn’t give him the chance to ponder much as he spoke up again.

“What about you? I expected you to be screeching in my ear about every detail of how Yoonhee agreed to be yours forever as soon as I picked up the phone.” Baekhyun questioned with a hint of bitterness.

Jongdae sighed before recounting their conversation from earlier. Being good friend’s with the two, Baekhyun was used to listening to their worries and being the bridge that helped them communicate their worries to each other. Though neither knew of this information. Baekhyun never was a medler, but he hated seeing his friend upset over some stupid fight he had with his girlfriend more than he liked to mind his own buisness.

It had been a while since he and Yoonhee last spoke. He only heard from her when Jongdae sprinkled random tidbits in conversations. Jongdae never aluded to there being any problem in their relationship, so he was shocked to learn that the couple were having issues. They unfortunately drifted apart slowly over the years. He always admired and respected her, but something kept him from putting in the effort to not let the distance sever their friendship. Something like the hectic life of a struggling college student.

  
Or perhaps the fact he's been in love with her boyfriend since the sixth grade would be more accurate.

Baekhyun let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding when Jongdae finished speaking. He hesitated in his thoughts for a bit as he dissected the new information.

"Bottom line is she doesn’t love you anymore?” Baekhyun brazenly pondered aloud.

The alcohol in his system keept him from filtering his words like he would usually when it came to his soft hearted friend.

“I think it may be the whole together for life thing that’s freaking her out.” Jongdae let out, not liking how pathetic he sounded trying to convince Baekhyun of something he wasn't even sure of himself.

“She did say she loved me above all, and to never doubt the fact.” He said in a small voice, to which Baekhyun scoffed.

“Hate to break it to you Dae, but she said the same thing to me that time she thought I was gonna die when I blacked out from our first experience with alcohol.” Baekhyun exhaled as he recalled the blurry memory before everything went dark.

“It's really unlike her to beat around the bush this much. Sure she loves you, but that doesn't mean she's _in_ love with you. Why can't she be honest?” Baekhyun fired again.

There was a deafening silence that stretched one too many pregnant seconds. Baekhyun sighed as he was suddenly washed over with remorse.

“Sorry Dae. I’m being an ass. This isn’t what you need right now. The alcohol makes me stupid.” Baekhyun rambled on trying to somehow take back his words.

“No, you’re right.” Jongdae sighed in defeat. “We still agreed to give it one last shot. Just to be sure...So I guess i’ll start from scratch to remind her why she fell in love with me in the first place.” Jongdae concluded with determination in his voice.

“You know i’m here for you, always...for whatever you need.” Baekhyun reminded Jongdae after a brief silence.

“Well don’t sound too excited.” Jongdae teased, to which Baekhyun responded with a dry laugh.

“Yeah, well i’m kinda tired now so I’ll hang up first.” Baekhyun announced hesitantly.

“Ah, yeah, okay. Thank you Baekhyunee. You know, not just for today. You’ve done a lot for us in the past too. You’ve played a big part in the survival of this relationship. I don’t know how I can ever repay you…” Jongdae trailed off, suddenly feeling awkward.

“...Just tell me that I will forever have your undying love, and we’ll call it even.” He half joked.

He expected Jongdae to refute him and to break out in incredulous bouts of whines at his request. He was caught off guard when Jongdae suddenly spoke tenderly through the phone.

“Of course. I pledge my undying love to you Byun Baekhyun.” Baekhyun could hear Jongdae smile as he said those words.

Baekhyun removed the phone from his ear, as he let out a shaky breath in an attempt to compose himself. He was brought back to reality when he heard Jongdae faintly calling out to him to make sure he hadn’t fallen asleep.

“Hey, yeah, I'm still here…” Baekhyun squeezed his eyes shut as he let out a pained chuckle. “I love you Jongdae.”.

The phone was stuck to his face well after he heard Jongdae's gentle goodbye. He sighed and dumped the rest of the beer he had planned on drowning in that night.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

In the weeks that followed, they spent every second of their free time on dates. It was just like their high school days when they would spend the day out and about until the sun set, and the city lights decorated the portrait of their dreams and aspirations.

Though it all proved futile. Jongdae's last effort made it painstakingly clear that their relationship was desperately hanging from a thread of the past. The butterflies that went crazy in her stomach at a mere glance from Jongdae, the electric shocks she felt whenever their hands grazed each other, and the anticipation for a new day to come so they could see each other again were all absent. The anxious anticipation for a kiss was replaced with indifference and mourning for the dwindling flame of their love.

What Jongdae had hoped would reignite their fire, ended up being the last breath of air Yoonhee needed to extinguish the flame for good.

Jongdae called Baekhyun when Yoonhee gathered a duffle bag to spend the night at her friend’s. He was left to drown in the emptiness of their home. His best friend showed up at his door in record time. Baekhyun helped him gather all his belongings, as he did not see the point in dragging out the process any longer. Baekhyun took him back to the apartment they once shared. The room he once occupied was now used as an office and storage space.

“I thought you were looking for a roommate?” Jongdae questioned after looking around.

“I was, but after you, I thought better of it.” Baekhyun joked and offered a gentle smile to lighten Jongdae's heavy mood.

“Am I really that awful to live with?” Jongdae asked, voice broken and fragile.

“Shit! Jongdae no! It was just a joke dude. Don’t cry!” Baekhyun panicked when he saw a stray tear fall down Jongdae’s face.

Baekhyun guided Jongdae to his office chair while he moved the suitcases to the closet.

“Sorry about the lack of accommodation. I...well, I wasn’t really expecting a roommate any time soon.” Baek ruffled his hair as he pondered where he should place his friend, since he got rid of most of the furniture years ago.

“Sorry for bothering you, and for dropping on you so suddenly.” Jongdae’s voice was barely above a whisper.

Baekhyun seized his pacing to look into Jongdae's eyes. He relaxed and approached his friend who looked so small curled in on himself on his small office chair.

“You’re no bother Dae.” Baek assured him as he went on his knees to wrap his arms around Jongdae’s small body.

They stayed like that for a while, Baekhyun often having to reach to his desk for tissues to dry Jongdae's face. They eventually moved to the livingroom where Jongdae eventually cried himself to sleep on the couch. Baekhyun took this time to clean his apartment, and order takeout. He called a furniture company, and ordered a bed and drawer set for Jongdae's room.

He loomed over Jongdae's sleeping figure when he finished. He brushed his hair back, and pulled the throw blanket over his shoulders. He was mesmerized by Jongdae’s features. Despite the dark circles that decorated his eyes, he looked so soft and at peace in contrast to the broken mess he was when conscious.

He sat on the floor, silently caressing Jongdae’s hair, when a sudden knock at the door startled him. It was the chinese food he ordered earlier. He debated waking Jongdae up, and settled on setting the table and serving the food first to give Jongdae a few more moments of rest. Baekhyun gently shook Jongdae awake, not wanting to startle him out of his sleep. Jongdae’s eyebrows furrowed as he stirred awake.

“Yoonhee?” He whispered hopefully as his eyes squinted, not used to the lights.

“Um...No, Jongdae, it’s just me.”

Baekhyun retracted the hand he had on Jongdae’s hip as he turned towards the food on the coffee table.

“I hope you don’t mind chinese. You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn’t want to wake you.” Baekhyun said softly as he set a plate in front of Jongdae.

“Thanks...again.” Jongdae replied weakly once everything registered.

Baekhyun decided to put on a movie, as the deafening silence became too much for him. He was onto his second serving of rice when he noticed Jongdae tossing his food around.

“Dae, I know you feel like shit right now, and all you want to do is crawl under the covers and never emerge again, but you need to at least get something in your stomach. You haven’t eaten since this morning.” Baekhyun scolded as his eyebrows scrunched together in worry.

“Sorry.” Jongdae’s voice cracked when he broke into tears for the nth time since Baekhyun picked him up from his apartment.

Baekhyun immediately moved to his side, and tucked him into his arms. He felt the front of his shirt begin to dampen with Jongdae’s tears. The sound of his pained whimpers chipped away at his already-crumbling heart. Baekhyun held his face in his hands once his breathing settled. He ran his delicate thumbs under his eyes to cast away some stray tears. He grabbed a bowl and spoon fed Jongdae the rest of his food, despite the other's protests. Baekhyun helped him into the bathroom to prepare for bed, and he was once again faced with the issue of where to place the hollow shell of a man.

He gathered some things from his room, and moved to the living room. He placed a pillow at one end of the couch, and laid out a lone throw blanket across it. He freshened up in the guest bathroom, and when he emerged, he found Jongdae laying on the sofa.

“What are you doing?” His arms were crossed over his chest as he stared down at Jongae’s pathetic figure.

“Sorry Hyunee. I don’t have the mental energy to do anything else right now, so i’m knocking out for the night.” He replied weakly.

He startled when he felt Baekhyun pull him by the arms into a sitting position.

“Be my guest Dae, but this is my spot.” He grunted as he hauled Jongdae over his shoulders.

“Wha- Baekhyun put me down! I’m really fine on the couch!” He protested to Baekhyun’s deaf ears all the way to the bedroom.

“Sorry to hear that. There’s not enough room for the both of us, but I’ll take your preference into consideration when I get a new couch.” Baekhyun replied cheekily once he threw Jongdae on the bed, ignoring his protests as he tucked him into bed.

“Baekhyun wait!”

Baekhyun was halfway out the door when he stopped dead in his tracks at the vulnerable sound in Jongdae’s voice. He stood at the door patiently waiting for him to speak again. Jongdae looked conflicted as he hugged his knees to his chest. Baekhyun walked back to the bed and sank down next to Jongdae.

“Sorry, I just- God I sound like a little bitch, but...I really don’t want to be alone right now.” He breathed out in frustration.

Baekhyun stilled in his spot, unsure of what to do. His palms felt moist, his heart raced, and there was a ringing in his ears. Surely, Jongdae didn’t just ask him to share a bed. Though it wasn’t out of the ordinary, they hadn’t shared a bed since they were kids. Baekhyun was unsure of how to move.

“God look at me, I'm so pathetic right now. Forget what I said! Thanks for giving me your bed.” He dismissed quickly, and buried himself in the blankets.

Baekhyun jolted at his words and dismissed all the weird thoughts in his head. He went to retrieve his things from the living room, and came back to find Jongdae’s figure shaking in a fetal position in the middle of the bed. He plugged his phone into his charger, and rested his pillow in it’s usual place. He crawled under the covers and pulled Jongdae to his chest. Jongdae immediately relaxed in his hold, and silence soon fell upon them as they lay in each other's arms. 

"You'll be alright Dae.” Baekhyun briefly disturbed the silence with a whisper.

Eventually he heard Jongdae's breath even. He pressed his lips to his forehead as a single tear of his own rolled down his face before darkness took over.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

Baekhyun admired Jongdae's stubborn can-do attitude. It really came in handy when they decided to start their own buisness. However, he found himself cursing the stupid attribute when was forced to exhaust every bit of patience he had in his body just to convince Jongdae to take take some time off from work until he regained some footing.

So, for the days that followed, Jongdae’s schedule consisted of waking up at noon once Baekhyun was long gone. He'd sit in bed as he flipped through the t.v before settling on random reruns of canceled shows. He found no real interest in the content. He really just wanted something to fill the silence that engulfed the house when Baekhyun was absent. The latter would call around lunch time to make sure he ate something. His meals depended on if he got out of bed at all, even though Baekhyun never left without making sure to lay out breakfast and lunch so that all he had to do was put it in the microwave. He then moved to the couch where he’d eventually pass out until he heard the sound of the padlock that signaled Baekhyun’s return.

Baekhyun returned from a long day of vocal training to find him in the same spot he always took. His hair was a tangled mess, his eyes were puffy and bloodshot, his face was dirty with tear streaks and drool, and he was still in the same clothes he'd been sporting two days ago. Now that he’d been taking over Jongdae’s shifts, he had less time to spend with his broken friend. He kind of hoped that by now he would have bounced back with his infamous kitten smile like he always did when he faced any kind of set back. The state of his friend was beginning to worry him.

“Welcome back.” He spoke meekly from his place on the couch.

“Dude…” Baekhyun sighed as he gave Jongdae a once over. “When was the last time you showered?”

Jongdae curled in on himself at the question. Baekhyun ran his hands through his hair in frustration as he abandoned his shoes at the door. He disappeared into the hallway and came back with a clean towel, and fresh underwear.

“Go clean up while I make dinner.” He commanded as he busied himself around the kitchen.

Jongdae knew better than to disobey a frustrated Baekhyun, so he quickly moved to the bathroom without another word. He opted to stay under the running water long after he finished washing himself in hopes that the scalding water would wash away his pain as well. He emerged an hour later, and changed into the pajama set Baekhyun had set out for him. He entered the living room to find Baekhyun sat at the dining table, finishing up a phone call.

“Better?” He hung up the phone and began to set the table.

Jongdae nodded. “Who was that?”

“Ah, the furniture company is delivering the stuff I ordered for you next week.” He replied nonchalantly as he focused on serving the food. “We don’t have lessons scheduled for this weekend, so the guys and I decided to close so you and I can prepare the room for when your stuff arrives.”

“Sorry...again. I’ll pay you back for those.” He awkwardly ran his hand up and down his left arm.

“You can pay me back now by shoving all this food down your pie-hole.” Baekhyun joked, and smiled mischievously at his flustered friend.

They ate dinner in bouts of laughter at the expense of Baekhyun as he recounted all of the unfortunate events that occurred to him during the week. The mere way in which the apples of his cheeks forced his eyes into crescent moons whenever he smiled lifted the heavy weights in Jongdae’s chest. His childish giggles, and the way his face glowed whenever he succeeded in making Jongdae laugh made him forget the pain that cripled him. It was during these times that Jongdae felt truly grateful for Baekhyun’s presence in his life.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

In the coming days the duo busied themselves with sorting and organizing the mess Baekhun had accumulated in Jongdae's room. Jongdae was thankful for the distraction. The cleaning resembled the wheels in his brain; The more they cleaned, the clearer his mind became. For the first time in weeks, he actually believed that everything was going to be okay. He felt like he could finally breathe.

They were in the midst of moving some things into storage when Jongdae took a good look at his friend. His eyes were focused on which boxes to take first to ensure maximum capacity. A sweat droplet slid down his face, and his tongue stuck out as he went to pick up another box. His knuckles turned white when he held a particularly heavy box close to his chest.

Jongdae was in awe of the sight. He didn’t think Baekhyun even knew the way to the gym. Though the protruding veins on his arms, and the meaty muscles that flexed around the box showed him otherwise.

“I know my godly looks are too much for your mortal eyes, but I could really use some help out here.” Baekhyun grunted as he walked out the door.

The sound of Baekhyun’s voice snapped him back to reality. He shook his head to rid himself of his odd thoughts, and resumed his labor. He put his box down where Baekhyun had instructed. He stretched his limbs to relieve some of the tension that had accumulated from their long day of hauling boxes.

He turned to leave but stopped when he was met with Baekhyun’s figure still leaning on the threshold. His eyes were focused somewhere beyond Jongdae’s eyes, like he was searching for something in them. He offered a lazy smile after a moment.

“I think It’s time for a break.” Baekhyun softly spoke before making his way back to the kitchen to pour them some cherry lemonade.

They sat at the dining table, relishing in the peaceful lull of the day. They sat in comfortable silence, for Baekhyun was too exhausted to start with his chaotic antics. Jongae took this as his chance to speak honestly.

“Hey, I wanted to thank you again. For everything you’ve done for me the past few weeks.” Jongdae confessed.

He thought back to the time he had spent in Baekhyun’s apartment, and the fact that the latter hadn’t left his side this entire time. Baekhyun called every time he caught a break at work to make sure he ate, and so he didn’t feel lonely. He made no stops after work, and came straight home to force Jongdae into the shower. He dragged him along wherever he went, not wanting to leave him by himself for longer than needed. He didn’t have much space to think about anything else because Baekhyun was there to occupy his mind at all times of the day.

Though he was most thankful on the nights that were too unbearable. Baekhyun would curl up beside Jongdae and caress his hair until he fell asleep.

“It’s my pleasure.” Baekhyun dismissed.

Baekhyun flashed him a soft smile to show his sincerity, before going back to his drink. Without realizing, Jongdae's eyes trailed a drop of condensation that slowly slid down from the corner of Baekhyun's mouth, where the glass was touching, to Baekhyun's exposed neck. His eyes were trained on the way his throat constricted to let the liquid flow into his stomach.

He snapped out of it shortly, and focused on his drink when he was hit with a sudden wave of embarrassment.

“I think I should go back to work now. I know you’ve missed me with how much you call during the day.” Jongdae joked to relieve his tension.

“How can I miss you when all you do is whine? Your students make up for it.” Baekhyun shot back.

“Ah everyone must miss me.” Jongdae suddenly felt sorry for everyone who must be worried about him.

“They don’t. They have me.” Baekhyun ducked to dodge the used napkin that was flung his way.

“You don’t know what it’s like to be missed. Do you even have anyone else besides me?” Jongae shot back.

“Do you?” Baekhyun giggled at Jongdae’s offended expression.

They resumed their work shortly after cleaning after themselves. They worked diligently, and finished moving everything in record time. Baekhyun prepared a bath for Jongdae because he noticed his muscles had already begun to ache. He heaved a big sigh of relief after ushering a whining Jongdae to his bath, and collapsed dramatically on his bed. He closed his eyes for a bit until he felt a dip in the bed.

“Oh, you’re awake.” Jongdae almost dropped the duvet he had hovered above Baekhyun's sleeping figure. “You should sleep here tonight or your back will hurt in the morning.”

Baekhyun silently agreed as he got up to change into his pajamas. Jongdae turned the lights off when he returned, and they followed each other under the covers. Jongdae turned to face him, and slowly began to drift into dream land.

Baekhyun remained awake for a bit, just admiring Jongdae’s sleeping figure. His hair had grown quite long since his last atrocious haircut. His long lashes rested softly on cheeks that were flushed pink from the hot bath he had just taken. His kitten lips were shining under the moonlight that pooled into the room from a space in the curtains. ‘He must’ve applied lip balm’ Baekhyun thought.

He smiled to himself, contently watching the way Jongdae’s body moved as he breathed. He came a long way from the first night they spent together. He could still see traces of sadness in Jongdae’s eyes from time to time, but he was glad he’d at least stopped crying himself to sleep. It won’t be long before Jongdae goes back to his old happy self. He drifted off to sleep, excited to have Jongdae back.

_His_ Jongdae back.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

Jongdae regained all control of his life the moment he went back to work. The security blanket that Yoonhee had ripped from him was long forgotten with the workload he came back to. In his absence, The Ear Worm had recruited two new students. Baekhyun, Yifan, and Yixing had split Jongdae’s workload. Now they worked hard to get him up to speed as soon as possible.

Their business had come a long way in the three years since they opened. What started as a crummy party supply store had flourished into a humble, yet respectable, music store. They worked hard and invested all their collective savings into a spontaneous dream they suddenly developed in college. Now they reaped the fruits of their labor. The trio juggled manning the register, making sales, and holding music lessons. It hadn’t been much of a hassle when they were just starting, but their business was growing, and soon enough they would need an extra pair of hands.

Jongdae approached the front counter to switch with Baekhyun when he finished his last lesson of the day. He looked around and spotted Yixing speaking with a customer, but saw no sign of Baekhyun.

“He’s getting something from the back.” Yixing explained when he saw the puzzled expression on Jongdae’s face.

“I’ll switch after I ring this last one up.” Baekhyun spoke as he emerged with a packaged amplifier in tow.

Jongdae sat waiting on a stool behind the counter, and watched the bow legged customer approach the register after wrapping up his conversation with Yixing.

Now that he saw him up close, Jongdae realized how ridiculously tall the man was. He had pastel pink hair that peeked from beneath his black cap that made his elf-like ears stick out like a sore thumb. He would be intimidated if it weren't for the giant's big innocent eyes, and the charming lone dimple that showed up whenever he flashed his boyish grin. He sported black basketball shorts and a black hoodie that engulfed his entire frame. Jongdae found it unfair that though the hoodie looked too big for its owner, it somehow didn’t make him look any smaller.

“Nice little space you guys got here.” The customer smiled widely as he leaned lazily on the counter.

“Thanks.” Jongdae’s lips curled at the genuine compliment from the chatty man.

Baekhyun came up behind the customer and nudged Jongdae out of the way to start ringing up the item. The man nodded and drummed along to the beat of the song that was playing from the speakers as he waited.

“This beat is messing me up! Who is this? I haven’t heard this on the radio.” He spoke when he regained control of his head bobbing.

“That’s Yixing and I. His beat, my vocals.” Baekhyun preened at the compliment. “Your total is 152,273.80 ₩...”

Baekhyun looked up expectantly when the customer didn’t move.

“Sorry, I just wasn't expecting that. I really like it" He confessed as he dug out his card from his worn wallet.

“You have great taste.” Jongdae commented from his spot beside Baekhyun.

Baekhyun busied himself to hide the blush that spread over his cheeks at the sudden compliments. Though it didn’t escape the tall elf’s eyes, who looked on in awe at the cutie behind the register.

“I worked in a studio back in my old place. I just moved here last week actually.” He went on as he signed the receipt.

“Really? Well, we actually do this thing where we play music from local artists. It’s not much, but small exposure is still exposure right?.” Baekhyun shrugged and handed the customer his item. “Bring us some of your stuff and we’ll play it.”

“I’ll definitely take you up on that offer.” He smiled softly, and rested his purchase on the counter. “My name is Chanyeol, by the way.”

He extended a large calloused hand towards Baekhyun. The latter gave a kind smile as he took the taller’s hand in his.

“Nice to meet you Chanyeol, I’m Baekhyun, and this here is Jongdae.”

Jongdae jumped to his feet, and took the hand that was offered to him. Chanyeol turned his attention back to baekhyun. He opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it when Baekhyun jolted from his spot at the sight of the clock.

“I’d better start preparing for my lesson.” He explained as he jogged towards the practice rooms. “See you around Chanyeol.” He shouted without looking back.

“See you.” Chanyeol spoke after Baekhyun was long gone.

Jongdae cleared his throat in discomfort at the way Chanyeol stared into the space where Baekhyun had disappeared to. He snapped back to reality and bade Jongdae a final goodbye before exiting the shop with a stupid smile permanently glued to his face. Yixing stood beside him, and joined him in staring at Chanyeol’s retreating figure in wonder. They glanced at each other for a while as they processed what had just gone down. Jongdae broke away with a shrug, and dismissed Yixing back to his spot where he had been checking their inventory.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

Things were more hectic than they’d ever been as The Ear Worm geared up for the sudden influx of students that always signed up in the summer months. It had been a particularly grueling day for Baekhyun, for he and Yifan spent the whole day re-doing the layout of the store while Jongdae and Yixing took on the classes of the day.

They had just entered the apartment when Baekhyun made a b-line to the kitchen to get started on dinner. Jongdae joined him soon after. He leaned on the threshold and followed Baekhyun’s hurried movements.

“What's the rush?” He questioned as he began to rinse the vegetables Baekhyun had set out.

“I promised the guys I’d log in to play today. I don’t want to run too late because we still have a lot to do at the store tomorrow.” He explained absentmindedly as he focused on finding the ingredients he needed.

Jongdae thought back to the last time Baekhyun went near his monitor. It was the night of the proposal. Baekhyun was so occupied with making Jongdae feel better that he didn’t have time to play his favorite game. He got hit with a sudden wave of guilt.

“Leave dinner to me. You go play your game.” Jongdae insisted as he took over the vegetables Baekhyun had been shredding.

“No thank you. Not after that time you burned all our noodles. The dorm stank for weeks.” Baekhyun cringed at the memory.

“Sehun was in charge of boiling the water! I just poured in the noodles!” Jongdae defended.

“You left dry noodles on the fire unattended! How did you not realize there was no water?” Baekhyun grabbed his aching stomach as he broke into a fit of giggles.

“Yeah, no. You’re right. I don’t know what was wrong with me. That was messed up.” Jongdae gave in and chuckled at the blood that flooded to Baekhyun’s face from how hard he was laughing.

“How have you survived twenty seven years without cooking a proper meal for yourself?” Baekhyun pondered aloud once he calmed down.

“I can follow a recipe. Come on Hyunee! You know that saying, ‘teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a day’, or whatever.” Jongdae pulled out his puppy eyes and begged.

“None of what you just said was correct, but what the hell? You wanna eat charred vegetables? Be my guest. I’ll have that black bean noodle place you like so much on standby.” Baekhyun relinquished the vegetable he was holding, and disappeared into his room.

Jongdae focused all his energy on following Baekhyun’s mom’s recipe to a t. He did his best to avoid any, and all distractions though Baekhyun’s constant yelling didn’t help. He worked with great caution and precision until he got something that closely resembled the bibimbap from their childhoods. He took two bowls to Baekhyun’s room. The latter’s eyes widened at the sight. He cooed and pinched his cheek before going back to yelling at his monitor. Jongdae finished his meal happily amused at Baekhyun’s excessive focus, and the occasional obnoxious sounds he made when he chewed.

He got up to clean up their bowls, but not before ruffling Baekhyun’s hair. The latter was too focused on his game to react. He started to clean the mess he’d made. It was bedtime by the time he finished. He followed his nightly routine before curling up under the sheets. He pulled up a playlist of songs he’d been thinking of covering when Baekhyun suddenly entered his room.

“Done?” He wondered aloud with his eyes still glued to his phone.

“Yup. I’m staying here tonight.” He stated before shooing Jongdae to the right side of the bed. “I decided to bless you with my presence as a thank you for making dinner, and allowing me to relieve some stress.”

Jongdae stared at Baekhyun’s curled up figure, contemplating if this was an appropriate time to bring up something that had been nagging at the back of his mind lately. Baekhyun scooted closer, and began making small noises he always made when he was getting ready to sleep.

“What is it?” Baekhyun suddenly asked from where his face was buried at Jongdae’s hip.

“What? I didn’t say anything!”

“You have that constipated look on your face you always get when you feel you can’t say something.” Baekhyun explained as he sat up. “Let it rip.”

“I was just thinking that it would be nice to do something other than work and lounge around at home. I mean, you’ve been cooped up with me for god knows how long. I think a date would do you well.” Jongdae explained with difficulty because of Baekhyun’s intense focus.

“I’m pretty much back to normal. I think it’s time you get on with your life too...I think you should ask Chanyeol on a date.” He finished quickly.

Baekhyun blinked fast a few times. Jongdae’s words didn’t seem to register correctly in his mind.

“You want Chanyeol to be my boyfriend?” Baekhyun asked in disbelief.

“I mean, it’s no secret that the guy is super into you. You guys get along great, and you’re always smiling when he’s around. Yixing has noticed it too…” He trailed off when he noticed Baekhyun’s blank expression. “I just thought it’d be a nice change of pace for you.”

“You’re okay with me having another guy around?” He searched Jongdae’s eyes for an honest answer.

“It would be nice to see someone take care of you for a change.” He offered a sincere smile, though something in his stomach felt off at the words pouring out of his mouth.

“If that’s the case, then I just might.” He replied after a while.

He scooted to the edge of the bed with his back turned towards Jongdae, and bid him goodnight.

Something had gone wrong during that exchange, though Jongdae couldn’t pinpoint what. The atmosphere turned into something he knew all too well, though it had never appeared in Baekhyun’s presence. He felt too cold all of a sudden with Baekhyun’s heat being too far away. He succumbed to sleep later than usual that night.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

Jongdae feared the worst when he woke up that morning to an empty apartment. He called Baekhyun, but the phone went straight to voicemail. He tried not to panic when he spotted the dead phone at the foot of the bed. He decided to put all thoughts aside for the time being, and prepared for work. He emerged from his room just as Baekhyun made his return from wherever it was he had been. The latter slapped on a big smile, and set the bags of pastries he was carrying on the table.

“You’re awake! I brought breakfast.” He exclaimed as he led Jongdae to the dining table.

“You had me worried sick. Where did you run off to?” He asked, ignoring the array of pastries on the table.

“I was out following your advice.” Baekhyun replied while his hands were busy pouring coffee. “I have a date tonight.”

Jongdae blinked back his shock. He didn’t expect Baekhyun to go through with it. Not after the way he reacted to the suggestion the previous night, and certainly not so immediately. It took some searching to think of something to say at that moment.

“That’s great…Good for you Hyunee!” Is all he could come up with.

“Thank you, now hurry up and eat or we’ll be late.” Baekhyun ushered Jongdae to the dining table to stop him from saying more.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

There was an uneasy feeling that settled in the pit of Jongdae's stomach after the morning's events. He was thankful that business was slow. It was around lunch time when Chanyeol paid them a visit. His wide doe eyes darted around the room in search of Baekhyun. He smiled widely when he spotted him munching on a sandwich behind the counter. Baekhyun shot him a timid smile of his own.

Weird, Jongdae thought, he'd never seen Baekhyun act like that before.

They made small conversation that Jongdae found too awkward to watch, yet he remained rooted in his seat beside Baekhyun. His stomach stirred as he witnessed the way they danced shyly around the concept or their new found relationship. Their awkward spell was broken when Chanyeol took out a hard drive with the songs he promised to bring. They talked animatedly about music, shows, and games. Just like that, they were back to their usual rhythm.

They were nearing the end of lunch, and Jongdae couldn't be more relieved. He picked up after Baekhyun and himself to signal the fact. Chanyeol got the hint and peeled away from the counter reluctantly. They bid each other goodbye, though Chanyeol lingered at the door for a moment longer

"Do you want to hang out after work?" He asked hopefully.

Baekhyun stole a quick glance at Jongdae, before responding affirmatively to the sudden question.

"That guy wastes no time." Jongdae commented as his eyes trailed after Chanyeol's retreating figure.

"I really like that about him." Baekhyun confessed.

And that uneasy feeling was back in full force.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

Chanyeol popped back in around closing time as promised. Baekhyun handed him the keys to his car, and wished him a safe trip home before disappearing into Chanyeol's monster of a car. Jongdae was met with deafening silence when he eventually made it home. He checked his messages to see no update from his friend. He wallowed in self pity for a bit before deciding to shower. He checked his phone again after dressing himself, oniy to see his blank lock screen staring back at him.

He sat in silence for a while before realizing how ridiculous he was being by anxiously waiting for Baekhyun's arrival. He picked up some cleaning supplies, put on some music, and got to work. He was in the midst of cleaning the toilet when he was startled by the shutter sound of a camera. He quickly turned to see Baekhyun looking amused at the picture he captured.

"Looking good Cindaerella." He teased.

"You're back already?" Jongdae wondered aloud. "It's barely been two hours."

Baekhyun put his phone in his pocket before crossing his arms and leaning on the door frame. Jongdae discarded his gloves and got up to meet his gaze.

"I told him I had to be back before dinner." Baekhyun explained. "What kind of prince would I be if I left my Cindaerella to eat by himself?" He continued to joke.

Jongdae felt comforted by Baekhyun's words, but he was overtaken by guilt when he realized Baekhyun was holding himself back again because of him.

"You really didn't have to do that. Go enjoy yourself! Stop worrying about me." He assured Baekhyun as he fiddled anxiously  
with the end of his apron.

"Why are you so hell-bent on pushing me away?" Baekhyun accidentally blurted out.

Jonglue snapped his head up at that, and caught a trace of hurt on Baekhyun's face before he covered it up with an exaggerated pout. It was probably just in his head, he thought.

"I could use some time to myself. Your constant presence is suffocating." He lied as he placed a dramatic hand on his forehead.

"Was that your plan all along? Getting me out of the house so you can relieve yourself in peace?" Baekhyun Jokingly  
accused.

Jongdae gasped in disbelief before smacking him on the arm. He pushed past his offender towards the kitchen to get started on dinner, and to hide the blush that tainted his cheeks.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

Jongdae quickly began to see less and less of Baekhyun in the days that followed. He spent most, if not all, of his freetime messing around in Chanyeol's home studio. In return, the latter would spend most of his time keeping Baekhyun company, and following him around the store during his shifts. The amount of time and space that chanyeol came to occupy in such a short amount of time was surprising. Even when Chanyeol wasn't around, he was all Baekhyun would talk about. Jongdae had gotten quite good at detecting an incoming Chanyeol anecdote, and detaching himself from the conversation before it hit.

Jongdae was dusting the keyboards that were on display when, like clockwork, Chanyeol came strutting in. Though he seemed more chipper than usual. He skipped straight to the counter where Baekhyun was waiting to welcome him with that sweet and adoring smile of his.

Like clockwork, Jongdae tuned out their interaction. From what he could gather, Chanyeol got a hold of tickets to see Coldplay that weekend.

"I work this weekend." Baekhyun smiled dejectedly.

"Can't you get someone to cover for you?" Chanyeol insisted hopefully.

"Yifan and I are already working this weekend." Yixing commented when he happened to pass by.

He put down the box he was carrying with a big huff. He wiped his forehead, and thought for a moment.

"But I think I saw on the schedule that Jongdae has Saturday off."

Jongdae halted his movements when he felt three pairs of expectant eyes on him. He looked between them before sighing in defeat.

"I can cover for you." He finalized before resuming his mind-numbing work.

Baekhyun looked unconvinced but decided to leave the subject alone. He let out a small thanks, and commenced planning out the weekend with his boyfriend.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

Baekhyun was having a blast screaming his lungs out at the concert. At some point of the show Chanyeol hauled him onto his back to give him a better view. He loved spending time with the taller. His energy was intoxicating. He can't recall the last time he had this much fun with someone who wasn't Jongdae.

Speaking of which, he couldn't help but wonder what Jongdae was doing. He wondered if Jongdae missed him as much as he was missing him right now. If he even missed him at all.

He was brought back to his senses when the band announced their last song of the night. Baekhyun did his best to throw the thought of Jongdae to the back of his mind, and enjoy the last bit of the concert.

"I was thinking we could go back to my place since it's kind of late." Chanyeol piped up once they excited the venue.

"Unless you don't want to! I can take you home if you'd like." He quickly corrected  
himself.

Baekhyun smiled fondly at the gentle giant before agreeing. They drove back home in comfortable silence. The thrill of the concert consumed both their energies.

Having recently spent a copiuous amount of time there, Baekhyun found his way around Chanyeol's apartment with ease. He rummaged through the fridge for something to drink while chanyeol looked for something comfortable for him to wear. He entered Chanyeol's room when he heard the other calling for him. He was handed a pair of shorts, and a big hoodie before Chanyeol left to give him privacy.

Chanyeol made it down the hallway before sprinting back when he heard Baekhyun shouting for him. He opened the door to find Baekhyun lost in a sea of fabric. He chuckled loudly when he saw Baekhyun had accidentally put his head through an arm whole, but quickly stopped when the smaller jabbed his abdomen.

Chanyeol held the neck of his hoodie until Baekhyun popped his head through. His cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment and his hair was all over the place when he emerged. Chanyeol took the opportunity to pet his hair, and grab his cheeks with his cold hands to  
soothe the raging blush. Something in the atmosphere changed, and they found themselves inching towards each other. Baekhyun held him by the waist, and met his lips the rest of the way.

The kiss was hesitant. Their lips melted together in perfect sync, but neither dared take it further than that. They pulled away and slowly opened their eyes. They were both met with confused expressions. They stayed frozen in place as they tried to make sense of the situation.

"Is it just me, or did you also feel nothing?" Baekhyun broke the trance.

Chanyeol released Baekhyun's face from his hold as he heaved a big sigh of relief.

"Oh thank God! I was starting to feel like an asshole thinking it was just me."

There was an awkward silence before they were both thrown into a fit of laughter.

"So where do we go from here?" Baekhyun questioned once they calmed down.

"Honestly, I was surprised when you asked me out all of a sudden." Chanyeol confessed. "I just thought we had really good chemistry as friends, so If you don't mind, I'd really like it if we continued to see each other as friends." Chanyeol offered a sincere smile that Baekhyun reciprocated.

"I would really like that too."

They concluded the night watching movies on Chanyeol's bed where they eventually fell asleep.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

Jongdae woke up startled when he heard voices coming from the front door. He looked at his surroundings and realized he fell asleep while waiting for Baekhyun to come back home. He was ready to go to the police when his friend didn't pick up the phone after the fifth call the previous night. He checked his phone for the time, and saw Baekhyun had texted him around the time he dozed off.

His head snapped at the sound of the padlock. It looked like Chanyeol had just dropped Baekhyun off. Chanyeol wrapped his arms around Baekhyun for one second too long before he bid him goodbye. Jongdae looked on as Baekhyun slipped his shoes off, a smile forever glued to his face. It seemed he was still in yesterday's clothes, though he wasn't too sure since most of his body was engulfed by a giant hoodie. Chanyeol's most likely.

"Oh, good morning Jongdae." Baekhyun startled when he took note of his presence. "You weren't waiting up were you? Did you get my texts? My phone died sometime during the concert, and it ran late so I couldn't contact you until we got to Chanyeol's apartment." Baekhyun rambled as he joined Jongdae on the couch.

"No, I fell asleep while watching a movie." Jongdae half lied.

The movie was playing, he just wasn't watching it.

"How was the concert?" Jongdae asked, and regretted it when that stupid smile returned to his face.

"It was amazing. Chanyeol really is a great guy!" Baekhyun beamed "Actually, something happened last night, but he handled it really well."

Jongdae's face paled as Baekhyun confirmed what haunted him the entire night. His heart picked up as he quickly thought of an excuse to stop him from going into further detail.

"That's really nice. I think I'm gonna head into the shower though- before it gets too late." He rushed out as he scrambled to leave.

"But....It's only 7." Baekhyun called after him, but he had already made his escape.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

The weeks that followed were less chaotic than the last. They quickly got over the incident from the morning that preceded the concert.

Though Baekhyun did occasionally spend time at Chanyeol's, he was home much more often. Something which Jongclae did not mind in the slightest. What he did mind, however, was the constant dings that came from Baekhyun's phone everytime Chanyeol decided to bombard him with his nonsense. Though the lack of his physical presence made up for it all.

Jongdae hummed along to the song playing from the speakers as he made his way to the front counter after his last lesson. Just as he rounded the corner, he caught sight of Chanyeol entering the shop for the first time in weeks.

"Long time, no see Yeol!" Yifan greeted. "Where have you been?"

"Chanyeol's been busy job hunting." Baekhyun answered for him, and Chanyeol confirmed pathetically.

"There's only so many options available for a music major, and most places require an impossible amount of work experience." He ran a frustrated hand through his hair as he confided in them.

He seemed so stressed Jongdae almost felt bad for him too.

Almost.

He reached the counter just in time to see Yixing's thinking face come to a conclusion. Nothing good ever came out of those.

"Why don't you come work with us?" There it goes again.

"Yeah! we could really use an extra pair of hands." Yifan continued.

Chanyeol looked around the room for anyone that opposed before letting out a big sigh of relief.

"I'll take that as a yes! You can start tomorrow." Baekhyun exclaimed with excitement.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

Jongdae hates to admit it, but Chanyeol turned out to be a great addition to the team. The customers loved him, and though he finds his constant fiddling with the instruments annoying, it did bring them more students. Chanyeol attracts people's attention like moths to a flame.

It was around the middle of the day when a peculiar fellow paid them a visit. He was short and a little awkward looking. He had thick, bushy eyebrows, and eyes the size of saucers. His heart shaped lips were rosy and forever stuck in a pout. He looked primed and proper with his blue checkered shirt that he tucked into the belt of his khaki pants.

He roamed aimlessly around the store and glared at everything in sight. Jongdae quickly looked away when the guy directed his giare at him. He was saved when Yifan approached to offer his assistance.

"I'm just here to kill time. I hope you don't mind." He spoke politely in a deep voice that didn't fit his appearance in the least.

"Not at all! but if you have more time to kill, we do offer lessons." Yifan continued when he noticed the gentleman's eyes roaming the guitars. He looked at Yifan with a small hint of intrigue.

"Our guitar instructors are really nice." Yifan added.

Their attention suddenly snapped to the storage area where Chanyeol was just emerging from. His eyes grew wide with curiosity when he heard Yifan call for him.

"This is Chanyeol, one of our guitar instructors." Yifan introduced

"Nice to meet you Chanyeol. I'm Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo." He bowed politely.

"Mr. Do came by to kill some time." Yifan joked.

"We're a little busy at the moment, but if you have more time to kill tomorrow, come by around this time again and I'll give you a free trial." Chanyeol bargained and flashed his charming dimpled smile.

Kyungsoo's face flushed at the sight. He timidly agreed, and went on his merry way. Chanyeol stayed glued in his spot with a smile as he watched the shorter's retreating figure. Jongdae cleared his throat in discomfort, effectively breaking Chanyeol out of his trance. Chanyeol smiled awkwardly before going back to whatever he had been doing.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

As promised, the short man returned around the same time the following day. Baekhyun was getting ready to switch places with Jongdae when Kyungsoo approached the counter.

"Ah, you must be Kyungsoo! Chanyeol is still in a session, but he'll be right out in a moment." He informed Kyungsoo before leaving.

Jongdae offered him the seat next to him while he waited. They sat in comfortable silence for about five minutes until their peace was disturbed by a stumbling giant.

"Sorry for the wait!"

Kyungsoo dismissed his apology and walked ahead in the direction Chanyeol had emerged from. Chanyeol caught up to him and led him by the hand in the right direction when he saw Kyungsoo was headed for the bathrooms.

Jongdae watched them intently as they disappeared and re-emerged thirty minutes later. Kyungsoo looked adoringly at chanyeol as he giggled at something the latter had said. He approached the counter shortly after Chanyeol let him go with a promise to help him pick out a guitar the next time he came

"Can you help me sign up for lessons?" Kyungsoo requested with remnants of the gummy smile he flashed at Chanyeol moments ago.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

The week went by in a flash, Jongdae realized as he chatted with one of Baekhyun's students that was heading out after his lesson. They bid each other goodbye when Baekhyun popped out from the back

"Ready?" Baekhyun asked when he reached the counter.

Jongdae nodded and reached for his bag, but came back empty handed.

"Actually, I think I left my bag behind. You go ahead, I'll catch up!"

He jogged to the back, but stopped when he saw Chanyeol was still in a session. He hesitated outside of the door before deciding to enter quietly. He wasn't prepared to see Chanyeol and Kyungsoo caught up in a moment that looked too comfortable to be confused for anything else.

Chanyeol's big calloused hands rested over Kyungsoo's delicate ones that hovered above the guitar's strings. They were lost in each other's eyes, and inched closer each passing second. It was like a scene plucked straight out of the movie "Ghost".

Jongdae let out a started yelp when the door swung back and hit his butt. The other two jumped apart at the sudden sound.

"I forgot my bag." Jongdae excused himself.

Kyungsoo's face was completely flushed red as he scrambled to gather his things. He mumbled a quiet goodbye to the both of them before tentatively pushing past Jongdae who was still glued to the door.

"You two were about to kiss." Jongdae accused.

"I don't know about that, but I admit we got caught up in the moment." Chanyeol ran a troubled hand through his hair.

"I can't believe you. I didn't think you'd betray our trust in you so brazenly. You really had us fooled." Jongdae tried to contain the rage that was bubbling up inside.

"Wait, is there a policy that prohibits this sort of thing?" Chanyeol anxiously questioned as his eyes widened in sudden realization.

Jongdae looked at him incredulously.

"How could you do that to him? How can you look him in those sweet innocent eyes knowing what you've done?"

"I'm not entirely sure I'm following." Chanyeol's brows furrowed in confusion

"How shameless can you be? I really don't know what he saw in you. Scum like you isn't even worth the ground he walks on." Jongdae spit out.

"Woah." Chanyeol put his arms up in shock of the sudden wave of insults. "What are you? In love with him or something?" Chanyeol shot back as he tried to make sense of the situation.

"What of it?!" Jongdae confessed without hesitation.

Jongdae stopped at his own words. The entire world stopped as Jongdae was splashed with the icy waters of realization. His palms grew moist as the last piece of the puzzle clicked in the mess that was his brain.

_He's in love..._

"Don't think I'll give up so easily just because we're friends." Chanyeol spoke up, sparked up by a rage of his own all of a sudden. "I haven't felt this strongly about anyone in a long time, and I'll be damned if I lose to the likes of you!" His words dripped like venom.

Jongdae scoffed at his words. Who said they were friends?

"You think you still have a chance after what I've just witnessed? When you've been messing around with someone else while he's clueless next door!?"

"Wait… What!?" Chanyeol tried to reel the conversation back to, once again, attempt to understand what was happening.

"Don't try to play dumb now. I'll be so kind as to give you a chance to confess everything to Baekhyun before I do." Jongdae warned with finality in his voice.

"Baekhyun? What do I need to confess to Baekhyun? He's the one that helped me convince Yixing to let me take kyungsoo under my wing."

"Why would he willingly send his boyfriend into the arms of another?" Jongdae asked stupidly.

Chanyeol looked at him with a blank expression as everything began to click into place.

"Baek and I broke things off the night of the concert." Chanyeol explained tentatively. "He didn't tell you?"

Jongdae had never felt more stupid than at that moment in time, and he's had many stupid moments in his short life.

"No. He didn't." He responded with defeat.

They stood frozen in place as they simmered awkwardly in the new found information.

"Wait," Chanyeol broke the silence. "this whole time you were talking about Baekhyun?"

Jongdae was at a loss on how to respond. Luckily, and to his horror, he was saved when Baekhyun barged in. He looked between them before nagging Jongdae for taking so long. He spotted the bag and took it back with him without waiting for Jongdae to follow.

"Sorry about what I said earlier. It was all a big misunderstanding." Jongdae apologized profusely once he was sure Baekhyun was gone.

"I'm sorry too. I didn't mean anything. I was just trying to sound intimidating so you'd back off." Chanyeol returned as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"You're really good at pretending." Jongdae joked to lighten the mood. "Good luck with all that by the way."

Chanyeol snorted at Jongdae's attempt before turning serious.

"You too." He returned with honesty.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

The car ride was awkward, for him anyway. He was unsure of how much Baekhyun had heard before he barged in. He was acting normally. Nothing hinted that he heard anything important. Jongdae tried his best to calm himself so as to not raise suspicion. They rested for a bit after getting home before Baekhyun decided to get started on dinner. He instructed Jongdae to pass him the salt container, and turned to give him a questioning look when Jongdae kept hold of the salt. He snapped out of it, and offered an apologetic smile.

Baekhyun hummed along to some song as he added some finishing touches. He had his back turned to Jongdae as he began to load up his plate when Jongdae decided to ask the question that occupied his mind since they left the store

"Why didn't you tell me you broke up with Chanyeol?"

Baekhyun's movements halted at the question, and resumed as he answered.

"Well, it was more of a mutual break up, and as for the reason I didn't tell you..." He trailed off as he handed the plates full of food off to Jongdae. "I didn't think you'd want to hear it. Not when you act like I'm dragging nails on a chalkboard whenever he comes up in conversation." Baekhyun explained nonchalantly without meeting his eyes.

He was hit with a pang of guilt. Jongdae knew he was being childish. He was also frustrated with himself. At least now he knows the reason why.

Jongdae set the cups Baekhyun had in his hand on the table before wrapping him in his arms. He rested his cheek on the crook of his neck, and swayed back and forth soothingly as he apologized for his behaviour.

"You know you can always tell me anything." Jongdae assured, and held him at arm's length so he could gaze into his eyes.

"You too." Baekhyun took on a serious face. "You can tell me anything too." He repeated.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

The duo were showered and ready for bed when there was a sudden knock at the door. Jongdae peeked through the peep hole to see Yifan holding up a pack of beer.

"Sorry for dropping in so suddenly. I felt like drinking, but Yixing passed out after the first beer." He explained as he made himself comfortable in the living room.

"And your solution is to come to the biggest lightweights in town!?" Baekhyun piped up incredulously.

"I provide the alcohol, and you provide the entertainment. It's a win-win situation." He smiled cheekily, and effectively casted away the frown on Baekhyun's face.

They spent the night joking around, and throwing popcorn in each other's mouths. Whoever let a piece fall would get a finger slap to the forehead. They were on a streak when Yifan suddenly sucked in a breath just as a popcorn landed at the back of his throat and he started to choke. He gulped some water before the other two approached to commence their attack on his forehead. He stayed on the ground in defeat and eventually passed out.

Baekhyun took the opportunity to draw obscene things on his face. They were hurled into a fit of giggles when they stepped back to admire their work. They tried hard to conceal their laughter so as to not wake Yifan and face his drunken rage, but the alcohol in their systems only made it harder. Jongdae quickly sobered up when Baekhyun buried his face in his neck to muffle his laughter. His face was flushed, and his eyes were pushed into those crescent moons he loves so much. Baekhyun eventually stopped his giggles when he noticed Jongdae's silence.

Jongdae was unable to stop himself when he felt a gravitational pull dragging him towards Baekhyun's pouty lips. His lips feit soft, and tasted like strawberry lip balm. His arms moved on their own and scrambled to pull him closer. He felt electricity running through his veins as their lips meshed together.

As if he hadn't been bold enough already, he ran an experimental tongue across Baekhyun's bottom lip. The latters eyes shot open at this, and he immediately detached himself from Jongdae's hold. His eyes stung with tears as he rose to his feet to put more distance between them.

"Crap! Sorry, are you okay?" Jongdae rushed out in panic.

"No. I-I need to go." Baekhyun stumbled his way to his room.

Jongdae was quick on his feet and stopped Baekhyun right as he was about to shut the door.

"Look, this isn't how I pictured it would go, but I can't keep denying it." He scrambled to piece the right words together. "I've been feeling things lately. Things that go far beyond friendship."

The alcohol wasn't helping.

Baekhyun was on the brink of tears. Jongdae dropped his hand when he opened the door wider.

"I've waited all my life to hear you say those words. I used to think they would be the cure to the pain of having you so close and knowing you will never be mine." Baekhyun sounded completely broken as he approached Jongdae to place his trembling hands on his shoulders. "You finally tell me those words when you're drunk and confused, and now I want nothing more than for you to take it all back...I'd rather live with the fact that you'll never love me than go along as your rebound pretending you do."

Jongdae stood frozen in place as Baekhyun gently pushed him back and then retreated back to his room.

"Allow me to hold on to the last shred of dignity I have left." Baekhyun pleaded before shutting the door in his face.

~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~♡~

Jongdae woke up the following day to see that Baekhyun, as well as a few of his belongings, was missing. He dodged all of Jongdae's calls and messages. It wasn't until he went to work that Chanyeol informed him that Baekhyun had asked for the day off, and that he was going to stay at his place for a while. When he eventually did return to work, he avoided Jongdae like the plague.

He was ready to wrap up another day full of futile attempts to get Baekhyun to talk to him when Yixing and Yifan reminded him it was his turn to lock up as they were on their way out. He took advantage of the sudden opportunity and backed Baekhyun into a corner. The latter was still holed up in the practice room when he made his attack

"We're in charge of closing tonight." Baekhyun startled at the sound of his voice, but nodded in acknowledgement.

"Can we talk?" Jongdae tried as Baekhyun gathered his things.

He ignored the question and busied himself with shutting everything off before pushing past Jongdae out the door.

"You can't avoid me forever." Jongdae trailed after him as he busied himself with finishing his job as fast as humanly possible.

"Baekhyun!" He shouted when the latter bid him no sign of acknowledgment.

"Fine. Don't talk. Just listen." Jongdae sighed in frustration as Baekhyun patted himself down in search of the keys. "This week has been absolute hell for me, but I admit it has served to cement what I already know."

"Where are those damn keys!" Baekhyun interrupted, but it did little to deter Jongdae from pouring his heart out.

"I won't lie. I loved Yoonhee, at first anway, but I don't know at what point I began to mistake the routine we developed over the years for love. Not once did I realize she was slipping from me because the distance didn't really affect me. It doesn't even come close to the pain that your absence brings me." Jongdae confessed as his tears threatened to fall.

"For fuck's sake, Jongdae!" Baekhyun interjected with a huff.

"We're going to be okay! I know everything's confusing right now, and you feel bad, and you want to fix things quickly, but please, for the love of God, understand that it's really hard for me to even be in the same room as you right now." Baekhyun bursted as he wiped at his tears in frustration. "I just need time."

"No. We're not because I'm never going to be okay with seeing you in the arms of another that's not me!" Jongdae snapped at the mere thought, and tears finally overflowed down his face. "We're never going to be 'okay', Baekhyun. Not until you accept that what I feel for you is real...and even then, we'll be more than okay because I love you and you love me!"

Jongdae took hold of Baekhyun's face and dried his tears with his thumbs. He continued to caress the apples of his cheeks to soothe the sobs that wracked his body before he laid a tender kiss to his lips. He pulled back to check Baekhyun's reaction, and was overjoyed when he felt the latter pull him back into a more heated kiss.

Much to their dismay, the moment was spoiled when they heard the bell above the front entrance announce Yixing and Yifan's presence. They stayed rooted in their spots when they had a chance to read the room.

"I accidentally took the keys with me." Yixing awkwardly piped up, and raised the said keys pathetically as proof.

The four worked together in awkward silence, and managed to close quickly. The new couple walked off hand-in-hand while Yifan and Yixing trailed far behind. They gawked at the scene in front of them for a while before Yifan cleared his throat and raised an expectant brow at Yixing. Yixing sighed in defeat as he plucked 50,000₩ from his wallet and slapped it onto Yifan's awaiting hand.

"Yes!" The latter exclaimed in victory as he pocketed the money. "You wanna bet on how long it takes for Chanyeol and Kyungsoo to start dating?" Yifan proposed when they continued the walk to their car.

"No." Yixing flat out rejected. "But I'll bet the shorty makes the first move."

"You're on." Yifan gladly accepted.

The End.

**Author's Note:**

> I went through hell trying to finish this fic. It was so much fun to be a part of this, but my God. This fic may or may not be cursed.
> 
> I may come back at some point and fix her up, but for now please comment something nice. For the sake of my sole braincell that powered through all 13,777 words.


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